Carriage-top-prop block



(No Model.)

A. A. LINES.

GARRIAGE TOP PROP BLOCK.

No. 387,893, Patented Aug. 14, 1888.

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AUGUSTUS ALONZO LINES, OF HOMER, NEIV YORK.

CARRIAGE TOP=PROP BLOCK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 387,893, dated August 14, 1888.

Application filed April 20, 1888.

To all 1071 0722, it may concern:

Be it known that I, AUGUSTUS ALONZO Lines, a citizen of the United States, residing at Homer, in the county of Cortland and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Carriage-Top Props; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the some.

My invention relates to certain new and useful improvementsin carriage-top props; and it consists in the mechanism and the arrangement of parts illustrated in the drawings, as will be more fully hereinafter set forth in the specification, and specifically pointed out in the claims.

The object of the invention is to provide a simple, cheap, and effective device by which the top of a carriage may be readily and quickly raised and lowered by the occupant of the carriage while seated within the same. This 0b- ;joct I attain by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which-- Figure 1 represents a side elevation of the seat and top of a carriage with my device applied thereto; Fig. 2, a perspective view of the spring-arm and lever for raising and lowering the top, showing portions of the seat-rail and the top braces; Fig. 3, a vertical longitudinal section through the spring-arm; Fig. 4, a detail view of shell.

In the accompanying drawings, A indicates the seat of a carriage, and B the top thereof.

C indicates the rail extending along the side of the seat, and for a portion of the way along the back. The rail 0 is provided with a front arm, 0, on which the hows of the top are pivoted, and a rear arm, 0', which carries the spring'actnated device for *aising and lowering the top and the top-brace, said arm being square for a portion of its length, its outer end being screw-threaded to receive the nut aw, as will be more fully hereinafter described. The rail G is secured to the seat by braces 0 I) and E indicate the ordinary top-braces, and are applied in the usual manner, except that the lower end of thebrace E is secured as hereinafter explained.

Upon the arm 0 is a shell, 1*, having a per- Scrlal No. 271,270.

(No model.)

forated flanged head, f, provided with a rim, f, having a cut-out portion, f adapted to re ceive the end of the brace E, which is pivoted on the arm 0'. Fitting into the inner end of the shell F is a flanged ring, G, having a square opening, g, adapted to receive the square portion of the armc, to prevent the ring from turning with the shell in the operation of raising and lowering.

Located inside of the shell F is a coiled spring, H, one end of which is secured to the head of the shell and the other end to the ring G. A lever, I, is fitted rigidly onto the shell F at its inner end, and serves as a means for lowering and raising the top.

The end of the brace E being rigidly confined in the cut-out portion of the rim f, it will readily be seen that said brace must turn with the shell as itis operated in either direction by the lever.

In placing the shell on the arm 0 the tension of the spring should be so regulated that the weight of the top will bejust sufficient to overcome it when a gentle backward pressure is applied to the lever. A very slight forward pull on the lever is suflieient to raise the top, as the action of the spring assists in the op eration.

\Vhile I have described my invention as ap' plied to the arm on but one side, it will be readily understood that it is to be applied to the arms on both sides.

It will be seen that the device is simple in construction and is effective in its operation, the top being lowered in an easy and gradual manner,and not with the sudden drop usually attending upon the old way of lowering.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination, with the seat-rail arm, of a shell mounted on said arm and provided with a perforated head,a ring having a square perforation, a coil-spring the ends of which are secured, respectively, to the shell and ring, a lever for operating the shell, and the brace E,detachably secured to the head of the shell, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, with the seat-rail arm and the top-braces, of a shell having a per forated head provided with a rim haviuga cutout portion adapted to receive one end of the 1 In testimony whereof I affix my signature in brace E, a ring provided with a square perfopresence of two witnesses. ration, said ring fitting into one end of the shell, a coil-spring the ends of which are secured, respectively, to the shell and ring, and a lever for operating the shell to raise and lower the top, substantially as specified.

AUGUSTUS ALONZO LINES.

\Vitnesses:

FLOYD B. Hrrorrooorc, JOHN J. ARNOLD. 

